Saturday, January 31, 2009

Critique, Worldbuilding, Rituals

All right, late with this post. I've been writing a lot lately, that's usually how a book goes near the end -- though this does seem to be more stop and go than I remember, but memory is definitely faulty when looking back on writing a book. ;)

Right now I'm stuck because I just realized I needed a wedding ceremony and I've never actually written one for the Celta books...I've written portions...before and after, but not a full ceremony, and even though I'm not going to write words or anything, I figured I needed to allude occasionally to what was going on. So, research, right after this.

Most of my ceremonies are researched and cobbled together into what feels right to me for the world, and what might affect the characters the most -- that was how the Yule ceremony was written in Heart Fate. As for the ritual near the beginning of Heart Fate, that particular one I made up completely and was one of those gifts of inspiration that writers occasionally get.

And I'm having problems making the wedding bit do what needs to be done, so I may have to think on it (or let it simmer in the back of my head) more, and get the bare bones out and come back to it to fix. It could be the last scene I write in the book. ;)

So that's what I've been doing -- oh, and Critique group was today and I didn't bring pages. I always bring pages, but I didn't want to get my head back in chapter 5 of the book when I'm at the end. Mentor's was hashed on until we figured out the one line that was screwing the scene, short story for the anthology was worked on, S.'s was perfect (rewrite of last). We all agreed that we are a TOUGH group. Nobody gets away with anything. Wish I had the time to submit the ms. to the whole group, but that just doesn't work.

Well, I've rambled on a lot now, so I'll let you enjoy, or not.

The kernel advice for this post: modify your rituals for your world, and make them what you can live with for an entire series.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Scenes vs. Wordcount

When it comes down to the last part of the book, my list of scenes, then my days are not ruled by wordcount. It's a matter of scenes. I plan on which I will work on today and sometimes make it (and wordcount) and sometimes don't.

This is particularly true when I know the book is long. The more words I do is not necessarily better than getting the book done. It's a good gauge for what I've done and may boost my ego if I add it to a yearly wordcount, but that's about it.

So I do keep track of wordcount, but I don't obsess over it (I obsess over the list).

And I suppose that's what people do who plot or outline rather than writing by the seat of their pants (pantzer) or out of sequence. Ah, here's what needs to happen next, I can do that!

It's an interesting feeling, but I still like the surprises of what comes when you aren't entirely sure of what WILL happen next.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Fear In It's Many Forms

Bottom line at the top: Do it anyway, despite the fear.

I've been getting the heebie jeebies about Heart Change (and I just wrote Heart Fate and had to retype which shows that this is an ongoing thing and I've spoken of it before). The problem is, I sometimes spend too much time analyzing what is bothering me instead of just planting the bottom in the chair and writing.

In pretty much order I've experienced the following;

I'm not meeting my wordcount deadline.I'm not going to be able to finish the book.This is complicated and how am I going to make it work? I'm not going to be able to make it work.I'm going over wordcount.Too much is going on at one time, too many subplots that are not dovetailing.

And the last couple of days:I know what I want to write and I want it so BADLY to be perfect and right and I won't find the right words to make it match my vision...and that's probably true.

I have my list of what the end of the book must look like, so I'm solid there. Some items have even been crossed off.

So what I did to get over the fear was to do another list of the scene I need to write. One item may be a paragraph or two, the next several pages, but at least it's in my head...and I can print it out and fear won't jumble my thoughts and fingers enough to make me miss something...

Monday, January 26, 2009

Louisville Signing February 7

Come join me and 5 of my fellow published Colorado romance writers to celebrate love and romance at the Louisville Public Library on Saturday, February 7, 2009, from 1-3pm. The event is free, but space is limited so call 303-335-4849 ext 4 to register yourself soon.

The six of us represent different sub-genres of romance. I will be joined by: Melissa Mayhue (time travel/paranormal), Tara Janzen (romantic suspense), Renee Knowles (contemporary & Regency), Elaine Levine (Western), and Lynda Hilburn (paranormal/vampire) (edit accordingly). We will be sitting in small intimate groups with you doing readings and answering questions.

This event is being hosted by the Louisville Public Library and is being supported by many of the women business owners of downtown Louisville. They have provided some fabulous prizes that will be given away at the end of the event (clothing, books, gift certificates for consultations, framing services, photography sittings, psychic readings and more.)

Our books will be available for sale and we all would be happy to autograph copies for you.

The library is located at: 951 Spruce Street, downtown Louisville (80027). There is parking under the library as well as on the streets surrounding the building.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Extroverted Writers, Signings

Of all the writers I know, only a few are extroverts, and I think I may be becoming more hermit since I lost the day job. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell who's an extrovert and who isn't. I always thought my mentor was an extrovert, and she is, like I am, when she's surrounded by our writer friends, when out in the real world, not so much.

I admire extroverted writers tremendously. I think it's easier for them to connect with readers when out, easier for them to push their work, to make people enthusiastic about their work.

For instance, I have some signings coming up (let me know if you're in the area February or March), and I didn't set one of these up. If asked, I usually say I'd be glad to sign, but not by myself. And usually I know who else has books coming out in the general time frame as I do.

Sooo...I'm thinking I should get out and circulate more (though today is Sunday brunch and that pretty much fulfills my need for social interaction for a couple of days). It's also cloudy and snowy which means I think about staying in.

I DID cancel my plans to be at Romantic Times. I've got excuses and rationalizations for that, as well as good reasons for and against. I've always thought it was too expensive, and in these times I can't manage it unless my next new ideas sell big.

So if you're an extrovert and a writer, celebrate. If you're an introvert, welcome to the club, there's plenty of us.

Meanwhile I'm on the last story day of the book and am looking forward to that the next couple of days. I may be able to finish the book as planned in Jan.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Echoes In the Dark Library Journal Review

As you know, the Library Journal review of my work is important to Mom. So here's what I got:

Library Journal ReviewJan 1, 2009 Issue

Owens, Robin D. Echoes in the Dark. Luna: Harlequin. (The Summoning, Bk. 5). Jan. 2009. c.560p. ISBN 978-0-373-80293-7. pap. $14.95. FANTASYDisillusioned by her career as a singer and devastated by the death of her grandmother, Jikata finds herself transported from Denver, CO, to a strange land called Lladrana. In that realm, music plays a key role in unlocking an ancient mystery that may help defeat the forces of Dark. The conclusion to Owens's "Summoning" series (e.g., Guardian of Honor) features strong and distinct female characters, new forms of magic, and a blend of adventure and romance. A good addition to most fantasy collections.*******Really like it.

Heart Change, Reading, Writing

As I was making tea a couple of nights ago and thinking I needed to go back to the computer and make a list of what was going to happen (I've spoken about how I do my final chapters list, and I knew this would be a very preliminary one), I thought "You know, this is a good story. I wish I were reading it instead of writing it. Easier..."

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Worldbuilding Complications, Residences, Characters, Climax

Because at the climax your hero/heroine/villain MUST NOT deviate from character. They must all react the same that they have throughout the entire book.

And in the Celta books I have sentient houses, that, as my mentor pointed out, complicates things...like a kidnapping, or evil deeds afoot...and I have telepathy and teleportation. So those in danger should be able to both of those things...

It's true that so far (and I need to check on this), a person can usually only teleport like once a day without wiping themselves out (the younger generation can do it more often as their power/Flair is growing).

So I had all these "why doesn't the Residence give the alarm" and "what can the Residence 'see' outside its doors" (nothing unless there is a scrystone hooked up).

And why would the villain hang around for the hero to find him instead of just doing the evil deed and teleporting away...since villain hopes this will be considered an accident?

I think my brain was close to frying, and, of course, I spoke to my mentor late in the day AFTER I had written one of the climactic scenes that will not work now because it took place in the Residence.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I know I've said these are very important, and one of my (old) favorite writers could never nail the ending. It was as if she wrote most of the book and rand out of time and ended it in a paragraph or two. Even as a reader I hated that.

And I've also said that I write out of order. Don't know if I told you all, but Heart Dance's, Protector of the Flight's, and Echoes In the Dark's ending were all written and saved as separate scenes, chapters.

Sometimes easier to write climactic bits! Echoes In the Dark's ending battle had to be crafted well (and I hope I did that) and make sense, especially going back and forth between the men and the women. I think I revised those scenes upward of five/six times.

Well, the ending of Heart Change came to me this morning as I was laying in bed after I woke. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't know how I was going to do it. Ok, I wanted to separate Cratag and Signet at a vital moment and the event needed to have certain pre-requisites. This morning I got the idea and I'm pretty sure I can make it work.

So I'm pleased though I've been researching and haven't written a word other than this, haven't done anything but feed the cats (who are not happy with their venison).

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Visual vs. Auditory Writers, Inspiration

My mentor can't listen to music when she writes because mostly she listens to dialogues and descriptions. I've heard Catie Murphy tell the story that one descriptive passage took her hours to create because she is not a "visual" writer.

For me, as with most, a film can unroll in my minds eye. In my very early days as a writer I had a beginning critique buddy, just like me. We looked at each other's work before we took it to critique group. She complained about not knowing where a scene went, I asked if she could see it and she said yes, and I said just follow the roll of the film. She said the movie stopped...I'm not sure what we went on to talk about after that, probably what should happen next in the scene...but it was her scene and I can still see a man and a woman in the moonlight, sitting in a hot tub...

Anyway, at the best of times, I get a sentence in my head to start the scene so I don't have the blank page. Such as "Mid-morning bell, a very quiet Vinni arrived, carrying a picnic basket."

Now, I know that this is in Signet's POV. I know she opens the door. She/I can see Vinni, more, she/I see MORE than just Vinni that won't be in the story. The door to the house is open and beyond is the gliderway and the front yard and large trees which have just unfurled their full, new leaves, a mass of green with the sun bright behind them. To the right are the flowers and bushes of the garden. Spring is finally here...I'm not going to explain this in the book, but I see it.

Signet's going to study Vinni and note the changes since she'd seen him before, then Vinni will open his mouth and say the first line of dialogue and the scene will take off from there.

That's how it's supposed to work, so why don't I try it and see instead of hang around here? ;)

Friday, January 16, 2009

Juggling Writing Promo Proposals Real Life

When you're a published writer, you need to learn to juggle (which I haven't been doing very well this week. I should be making my wordcount on Heart Change, but I also have a new book out, Echoes In The Dark, that I need to promote, not to mention getting some proposals together (and I'm taking a plotting class that I've posted to once), and, of course, real life.

I cancelled my retreat in the mountains last week because of car/catsitting matters, so there went emotional and spiritual support. I allowed the all day chat, car going in to be serviced (ouch!) and the open mic last night to derail my writing. Yesterday I spent time reading some work for three contests I'm judging.

Sooo....I'm certain you can do it all if you manage your time and EMOTIONS correctly. Yahoo freezing up Tuesday morning did not help with the chat. If I'd used the two hours I spent messing around with that to write instead of trying to understand and fix what was wrong, I'd have made my full wordcount. (But on the plus side, I now have five sets of interview questions I've answered that I can pull from if there's a fast interview that needs to be put together).

Then there was the time taking the car in on Wednesday (more than I expected), the worry about expense WHICH I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED TO GET TO ME (very much more than I expected, who knew my old SAAB's headlight would cost $300 for the part alone). Then the taxi ride and expense to the mechanic's.

I've been worried about money lately so I've cancelled my trip to Romantic Times convention.

Yesterday I messed around all day reading contest entries (one was wonderful, the rest were good), and practicing reading my segment for the open mic (which was about 45 minutes away). I switched at the last minute from Echoes in the Dark to Heart Fate, which I don't think served me well.

Anyway, bottom line is, that you should sit down and write no matter what. Tune the world out, let the muse come. YOU (I) CAN DO THIS.

I think I need to be journalling to figure out what's stirring around in my innards.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

More Story Than Pages

My Heart books usually come in right around 500 pages. In fact I like them to be that so I don't use more than one ream of paper (and if the ream is short, I know it).

However, I'm at the 400 page mark and know I have a LOT more story with Heart Change...two small subplots to tie up with a scene each and one major outer plot to get done. Not to mention the black moment and the romance. **Sigh**

So this means I will probably run long, and since I think my set up is slower than I like, I'll be cutting scenes from the front of the book. This can always hurt but 1) I no longer view my words and scenes as "precious" and set in stone, and 2) I've learned to assuage my hurt at cutting by putting some of the extra scenes up on my website.

In the end, all to the good.

I could, of course, start cutting and rearranging now, but it's better to get the full story down so I know how much needs to be cut.

That's all for now as I've been pushing my limits and am brain dead and only want a nap.

May you know what to keep and what to throw away today (or at least save in another file).

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Wordcount Competition, Measuring Youself By Others

Don't measure yourself by others, you and your process are unique.

I always have this problem of needing to equal others' wordcount, even though I KNOW every writer is different...So, for the new year I will try harder NOT to measure myself by others, and be happy when I meet MY OWN Goals.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Someone asked for a pic of Raine or a prospective cover or whatever. First, I LOVE this artist, Jean Paul Avisse. I have a screensaver by him from Second Nature, and I pass out the Self Care cards that feature a lot of his work at my seminars, retreats, critique groups, etc.

THIS IS A PORTION OF JEAN PAUL AVISSE'S "FROZEN LOVE" WORK, IT IS COPYRIGHTED BY HIM AND YOU CAN CONTACT HIS REPRESENTATIVES AT THE LINK ABOVE.

I don't think of Raine as quite this pale, a little more tanned...and this would have made a fabulous book cover...

Friday, January 09, 2009

Writing Intense Scenes

Yesterday I geared myself up to write a scene I'd been pretty much avoiding for a month. Today was just as intense and after three hours to meet my wordcount, I'm exhausted.

So there's mental work and physical work and day jobs and writing job...and how to weigh one with the other.

I can handle blogging and promotion and research today, but I don't know that I could go back to the writing. And I'm not sure of the emotional punch, either. I think it's there, but I have a feeling I'll have to revise and add to it. I know I got the essence of the scene down but may need to add descriptions and more character emotions to it. I have a feeling this bit is not something I'll be able to judge, and I'll never get the new impact because I know it's been coming longer than I've been published and it will never be a surprise.

Whew.

Meanwhile, my retreat to Fairplay is OFF since Dingo got in a cat fight and needs medicine twice a day (he's actually very well but had a nasty infection), and my regular catsitters are both unavailable. And I didn't get the car in to be serviced beforehand....

Anyway, that's it from me and the days have been grayer than normal with hardly an hour of sunlight and that's hard for me, too. I don't know that I would ever be able to live in Ireland, a dream of mine.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Unpublished Work -- Pitch for Betrothal and Blackmail

Liked the name of this one A charming hero, and historical lite, Regency setting and mores is all.

My only NON-paranormal novel length manuscript (I think I have a couple of proposals). I recall that I worked hard on the opening and liked it, and liked Emily, the heroine, and the love scene.

I finished this book a day before I heard Christopher Vogler lecture on The Writer's Journey. I went straight home and checked the manuscript out, and, by golly, I'd hit every one of his archetypal story "beats" right on. I was thrilled. So I recall the Threshold Guardian scene with the French chef especially.

The Pitch:

Betrothal and Blackmail is a historical romance set in Regency England in which the hero and heroine agree to a false betrothal as a condition to obtain his property from his evil aunt. At the houseparty to formally announce their betrothal, the aunt is murdered. The hero and heroine discover the depth of their love for each other while they search for the murderer among a myriad of blackmail victims.

Monday, January 05, 2009

What Every Writer Fears

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Reading and Writing -- Sun or Shadow, Weather Affects Writing

A couple of times in the last couple months (once in SC and once online) I've heard a writer say that when it's a bright and sunny day it's hard for them to write. For me if it's a gray day, I want to burrow in and read and play and munch...not write. I know other local writers who agree.

This may be one of those geographical things. A gray day, especially a misty or rainy day -- all day -- is a rarity here. Usually the sun shines, at least a few minutes of every day. Currently I get sun in my office from about 7:30 am to 4 pm and bright sun in the dining room mid-afternoon. If I didn't work when it was sunny I would hardly work at all.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Favorite Opening

All right, on that 12 hour excerpt deal someone asked me about my novella, Road of Adventure in the anthology What Dreams May Come and I posted the opening. It's one of my favorites, so I'll put it here (though I think it's on my website, too). Contemporary paranormal romance. August. Denver.

***********************************

He was the ugliest cat Jake had ever seen. The black and white tom had an aura of maleness surrounding him, even as he licked his paw and eyed Jake with disdain. One of Jake’s ex-girlfriends had used that aura of maleness phrase to describe him, and he’d thought it was crap, now he knew what she’d meant.

The cat set down his paw and sniffed. “I knew you’d come here.”

Jake must be dreaming. Cats sure as hell didn’t talk. The surroundings hadn’t tipped Jake off. He spent a lot of time in the gym locker room. He shifted. The bench seemed solid and hard for a dream.

He looked back at the cat and choked. Now it sat on what looked to be a small, ancient Greek pillar, like Jake had seen while watching the Olympics. Behind the cat wasn’t the opposite wall of gym lockers, but a temple that showed bright blue sky between fluted pillars.

Jake swallowed. Definitely a dream, though since he’d never had a cat, he wondered what the thing was doing in his dream. He narrowed his eyes. That cat! The battered tom looked familiar. Didn’t he have a run-in or two....

The cat lifted a pink nose with a black spot and sent Jake an icy stare. Jake’s cop instincts rang loud and clear that something was very, very wrong. But what could be too wrong in a dream? He looked down. Yep, fully clothed. He wouldn't walk into the Captain’s office naked.

The cat hissed. “My name is Borisssssssss.”

“Huh,” said Jake. He stood and stretched, all his muscles worked fine. Some called him an endorphin-adrenaline junkie, but he just liked the way his body felt when he was in shape. Though he was thirty-two, he wasn't slowing down at all. Looking around his side of the room, everything was comfortingly familiar, the dull green lockers, the bench, the tile floor. But it changed in the middle of the room, becoming marble slabs.

“Boris, huh?” Jake tested reality by strolling over to the cat and looking down on him. This side of the room remained a Greek temple. Jake could sneer too. “I think we’ve met.”

How the cat could speak and growl at the same time eluded Jake. He shrugged. He was dreaming.

Boris stretched out a paw and sharp, curved claws sprang out. Oh, yeah. Jake remembered those claws. He’d tangled with the tom on the front porch of a house and gotten scratched. Badly enough that he’d had to get a tetanus shot, and that made his arm ache so he couldn’t work out for a day. Yeah, the cat had cost him. Hadn’t it also pissed....

His stare latched onto the cat’s paw where a bloody spot marked the side of the cat’s white foreleg, like where a vein had been opened or a needle inserted.... Jake’s heart started to pound in his ears.

“No,” said the cat. “Your heart....” He sheathed his claws and tapped Jake’s chest.Jake saw it now, the big, dark stain on the chest of his uniform. Fear lanced through him. Woozy, he retreated to the locker room bench. He didn’t want to think about stains. He wanted to wake up. Now!

Nothing happened except the cat lifted its leg to groom. Jake was right, Boris had been fixed.

Boris growled.

Jake couldn't help from rubbing his hand up and down over the stiff, dark spot, hoping it would go away. If it didn't.... Out, out damned spot! What was that from? Bugs Bunny?

“Shakespeare, his play Macbeth.” The cat smirked.

Jake could really dislike this cat.

A door opened on his left. Jake blinked. There wasn't a door there in the locker room. Oh, yeah, he had a really bad feeling about this.

Boris jumped from his pillar and swaggered to the small, balding man in a gray rumpled suit who stepped through the door.

“Hello, Boris,” the guy said. The cat rumbled a purr, then trotted into the next room.

The threshold looked ordinary. The man pinned Jake with eyes as gray as his clothing. Such colorless eyes shouldn’t have had an effect on Jake but he couldn't move.

He’d faced down plenty of tough customers and won. His guts twisted. He should be the one in charge. He could lift this guy with one hand. He tried to speak and couldn't.

“Come in, Jake Forbes. You can call me Gray.” The man turned and stepped across the threshold.

Finally Jake found his voice. “Whatever,” he croaked. He wanted to swagger like Boris, Jake could swagger with the best of them, but his feet dragged until he reached the door and looked in.

**************************************May you get all the chances you need.Robin